Click HERE for full review : http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2013/03/onaka-restaurant-wine-bar-arc_19.html

Onaka first caught my attention because it means "stomach" in Japanese so why would anyone want to name their restaurant this way? Well, it turned out that this name stands for Optimum Nutrition And Kitchen Arts. What draws me here the most is that the place offers a nutritious and tasty menu catering to different dietary needs: Dairy-free, Egg-free, Gluten-free, Vegan, Vegetarian. Our appetizer was the Asian Hummus $8 -- a blend of organic chickpeas, tahini, topped with chilli-marinated olives. The dip which was fortunately served at room temperature and thus had a good creamy texture. But it would have be a delightful dish if the whole meal pitas weren't as hard as crab shells.would you be surprised if the Chilli Crab Cakes $24 come in three big fat lemongrass skewers? The chilli sauce version is thicker, sweeter and not as spicy as compared to the zichar style. The texture is similar to Thai fish cakes that are not deep fried. The Organic Rice cubes drowned by the sauce tasted like a hybrid of ketupat and nasi-lemak. The rice had a sticky texture but gives out with whiffs of coconut fragrance.Pear and Salmon $20:The 47degree seared salmon was moist, soft and lubricated with the soft poached egg. The julienned Asian pear is rarely paired with fish but turns out well as it adds a refreshing fruity flavor and crunch to the dish.For desserts, go for the avo-choco emotion $12 . The avocado mousse did not had an overpowering vegetable smell and complemented with the airy, lightly-sweetened chocolate layer. Not too creamy and thus a good end for the meal. other desserts we've tried: yoghurt chocolate parfait and banana pastillas However, the yoghurt chocolate parfait $9 which I had mistaken to be tiramisu ( this was from the display cake selection) turned out to be rather lacklustre. Perhaps the lack or minimal use of cream resulted in thick layers of chocolate bricks which even a strong man had difficulty breaking through with a spoon.

In short, the food here is worth trying and I'm pretty sure the extensive menu leaves one spoilt for choices
Perhaps whether the food is egg free, gluten free etc... or not may not be that significant in influencing our health, ultimately it is still dependent on what and how much we choose to consume. So lets try to eat smart...the yummy way

For more food and full review : http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2013/03/onaka-restaurant-wine-bar-arc_19.html

Click HERE! http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2013/02/de-la-creme-patisserie.html for full reviewAssorted Macarons (1 for $2.40/6 for $12.90)
Having gone all the way to the East, I had to try all the flavours, especially the Gula melaka since not many offer this as a regular item. But out of all , I like the Salted Caramel best because of the sharp specks of salts that jump at your tastebuds. Other flavours include rose, earl grey, passionfruit, chocolate amer and red velvet ($2.40/6 for $12.90) the shells are indeed not too dry, but so fragile that one has to handle them with care. Genevieve($6.90)
But apart from the macarons, the cakes were quite average. I like white chocolate but the layer in Genevieve($6.90) was too sweet even if 70%chocolate was sandwiched in the centre. Luckily, it was saved by the smooth texture of the mousse and the crunchy praline feuillettine base. The Red Velvet cheesecake($5.90 in this Valentine seasons /$7.50 for a regular larger slice) is petite but rich and heavy on the palate. Something like a Dense NY-style cheesecake but loaded on top a sticky chocolate brownie. You may want to just go for their Red Velvet Macaron and skip this.The mango shortcake ($7.90) was a disappointment. I always believe a shortcake marks the basic skills of the chef but I think this did not pass. The sponge was not fragrant (perhaps due to the egg). and somehow not naturally moist because it has been soaked with liquor. I know some chefs like to brush the sponge with it but this...hmm.And the fresh cream was too thin to take notice.classic opera ($6.90)
Well, at least the classic opera ($6.90) was not bad. The quality is about the same as Delifrance.

Even though I prefer the macarons to the cakes, I still recommend you to go there and have a try. After all there aren't many true standalone patisserie shops in Singapore. Most newly opened ones are cafes that specialize in coffee and the cakes......well become quite mediocre. Should I drop pass the East again, I would not mind returning for their new creations if they are available

For full review: http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2013/02/de-la-creme-patisserie.html

For full review, visit : http://www.dairycream.blogspot.sg/2013/02/poulet-affordable-french-food-ii-of-iii.html

The second half of last year seems like a crazy period as people swooned to try out casual French food which aims to change the equation of "French cuisine=fine dining=expensive" Hence the second post of the affordable french food series will be our Poulet visit ! The French Onion Soup ($5.80) might not be the cuppa soup for everyone as they replaced the melty cheese with cheese croutons. Personally, I am a traditionalist who would prefer the version from Taratata Bistrot. Iberico Pork Belly with French Mustard($15.80)
I have to admit that I was drawn towards the Iberico Pork Belly with French Mustard($15.80) that day. Even though it did not received much praises, I find it to be tastier than those served in other place like here. The tender pork was more flavorful than the chicken on its own but we did not forget the bed of mash that was so irresistibly smooth.We nearly left without trying the Tiramisu (7.80) as it was out of stock until we were informed that a new batch was available. Chilled, rich creamy mascarpone cheese and the bitter coffee-soaked sponge makes it one of a more memorable tiramisu in Singapore. But still, a more intense alcoholic booze will be ideal.As an excuse to spend more time chatting, we ordered another dessert that requires 20minutes to make! Tadaa....the golden apple tart with sweet almond fragipane topped with a large ball of vanilla ice cream. The version here is unique for its buttery crumbly base which I have not yet find in other places. Do not miss this if you love apple desserts.

Poulet's prices might be slightly more expensive than Saveur (here) but the ambience is more relaxed and you won't feel rushed to finish your food. Good news is that they have opened a 2nd outlet in Great World City with some new items. And I can't wait to visit that place for their escargots and other french delights!

Full review : www.dairycream.blogspot.sg

If you are thinking of pampering yourself this Valentine's day, Caffe B might be the place for you. This Japanese-Italian restaurant sits a distance away from most celebrity chef restaurants , providing a quiet ambience though one might take some time to be used to the dimly lit brown interior.

The set meal ($120 /person) of five courses is based on the Groupon voucher and not all items are available on the ala carte menu. The original price was $240. We also ordered other ala-carte food so

For full review : http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/

Amuse Bouche : Deep fried Myoga in Italian Butter (right)
Simply put, this is like a less crispy version of the gyoza or fried dumpling filled with the pink ginger (myoga) which you normally have in Japanese sushi restaurants
Amuse Bouche :Truffle Potato and Asparagus Croquette (left) is a mini sized deep fried ball which tasted more grainy than the usual smooth creamy Croquette paired with a savoury Pamersan cheese crisp below.We loved the very nourishingly sweet Japanese pumpkin soup with tomato, with the nutty aroma from the roasted walnuts topped with a piece of fried basilArgentinian Beef Tenderloin
For the main, I believed our choice of the Argentinian Beef Tenderloin with Marsala (red wine) Reduction was a right one out of the three choices including salmon and risotto. The purple and white pom douchesse are the two spiral shaped things if you can spot them in the picture. They are seasoned mashed potato mixed with egg, squeezed out from a piping bag then baked till golden.Just look at how pink the meat is and you can imagine the tender of the beef was. The meat sat on top of spinach puree next to a sauteed radicchio trevigano, a vegetable which resembled purple cabbage to mePre dessert: refreshing sweet melon granite and basil with chantily cream. I just realised the chefs from Caffe B must have loved basil a lot.chocolate semifredo
the standard of the dessert was consistent with the earlier dishes. The chocolate semifredo with croccante is a frozen mousse coated with nuts. It had a sticky chewy texture when served in a semi defrosting stage.
One must be quick to snatch the chocolate triangular shaped flat biscuit if you are sharing this with someone. It was just the right Italian biscuit which I was looking for. Bitter with a tinge of earthy cocoa fragrance

Service was courteous while not too friendly since a distance is kept to give some personal space to diners especially since most customers that night were couples. Anyway, there is still something that grapples me.
In Japan, I've heard of B-class restaurants, whose names are relative to A-class Michelin restaurants but it does not mean that the food is not good. It just implies that such places are more down-to-earth eateries, serving delicious cuisine with inexpensive prices. Could that be why Caffe B is called Caffe B ?

Ciel Patisserie is another cake shop locate in the HDB area that serves French-inspired pastries. With the clean white bright cheery interior, why would not one step in to have a look?
For more, visit: www.dairycream.blogspot.sg Fuji($5.20)
One of the widely reported cake by the media was the Fuji($5.20), the symbolic icon of Japan. Perhaps I had too much expectations for this and hence the flavours did not excite me in the end. On first glance, it already looked different from the pictures taken by previous consumers as well as on their website.A fairly decent green tea mousse which was not too sweet sat on top an unevenly soaked, partially dry green tea sponge cake. The longan fruit gelee/jelly in the centre was a bizarre pairing which I have yet come to appreciate.On the other hand, The Choux ($3.20) which was not one of the pastries that received much media spotlight, left a deep impression for a finicky choux pastry eater like me.The choux pastry skin was sturdy, aromatic, and salty. Though the saltiness was comparably intense, it was just right to cut through the richness of the vanilla cream which left no space in the puff unoccupied. Sel ($4.80)
Being one of the popular items, Sel ($4.80) is similar to a classic French pastry made of chocolate ganache on top of salted crumbly cakey shortbread. I love salted desserts but this one fell short with rough specks of sea salt which might be better substituted with other kinds of salt. But having taken the price into consideration, I would not demand more.

Looking at the beautiful display, this place definitely has more than enough variety desserts for sweet lovers to devour without rush. I would not say that the quality is the best but the effort put into delivering simple affordable pastries to a wider audience is commendable and thus makes it a good new place to share with friends and family.